Falling Out
by UnintendedTrustFall
Summary: The story behind how Neal and Keller's friendship fell apart, and how Keller can't kill Neal, while he can kill anyone else. Suckish summary, I know. Just READ AND REVIEW. No slash.
1. Friends to Foes

Keller knew just as well as Neal did that the two were equal opponents in every aspect but one. Murder. That was where Neal Caffrey drew the line. Matthew Keller, on the other hand, didn't believe any such line existed.

The last con Keller and Neal had pulled together, was also the first time Keller killed someone.

The guy's name was Frank Olsen. He was useful during the whole operation, but also expendable. Keller had thought about it for quite some time and finally came to the conclusion that if he killed Olsen once they'd successfully gotten away, both Keller and Neal would make a much larger profit.

And so while they stood there in the warehouse, Keller pulled out his gun in one fast maneuver. It felt like he spent an hour pulling the trigger but in reality it was really only half a second.

Neal jumped and then his eyes dropped to the body to Keller. It was silent for at least a minute.

During this silence, Keller searched within himself for guilt or a sense of broken humanity... anything! But there was nothing. He felt no different than when Olsen had been alive.

"Keller! What the hell did you do?" Neal croaked finally.

"I... killed Olsen." Keller thought maybe if he said it aloud, he'd feel something. But he didn't. "We both make a much larger profit this way, Neal."

Keller remembered all too well the argument that followed. And then they had a falling out. They parted ways. Keller often looked back at this day and wished things could've turned out differently.

But they'd played out the way they had, and nothing could be done about it. Perhaps it was that argument that had led to the vicious rivalry they upheld today.

Recently, there'd been times Keller could've killed Neal. But he couldn't. Everytime he pointed a gun at him, he wasn't in any real danger. Because Keller just couldn't do it.

It wasn't just a partnership he'd lost in that argument. It was a friendship he could never forget.


	2. Walking Away

_* Spoilers from **CHECKMATE**, READ AND REVIEW! Short chapter, I know, but next one will be long, I swear!_

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><p>Matthew Keller felt the fed's determined fist come into contact with his face and watched his vision become dotted with dark splotches of semi-consciousness. As he stumbled back to his feet, Keller realized that normally a fed's job is only to subdue a suspect. Peter Burke, on the other hand, had an intent to concuss or seriously harm. Keller had expected as much, considering the fact that only hours ago he'd been holding Burke's wife prisoner.<p>

It seemed only fair that Peter get a little revenge.

It was for this reason that Keller allowed him the first punch. But he was gonna get it now. Keller pounded his fist into the Suit as violently as he could, and though Burke managed to get in some decent blows himself, Keller felt the other man's strength beginning to falter. He was quite sure he had him when a very sudden explosion of ungodly pain reached the nerves within his leg. Keller fell to the ground and as he did so he saw Neal, holding his gun. He'd almost forgotten he was there.

Now, its said that the kneecap is one of the most painful places to be shot. Keller had been skeptical of this, but now he was positive it was true. The pain was unbearable.

But it wasn't just the physical pain that Matthew Keller was suffering from. The absolute hatred and contempt in Neal's eyes seemed to have registered on an emotional level.

This fellow con, who had once been his best friend had now intentionally caused him excruciating pain and was now... walking away. _Walking away._

Keller tried but failed to stifle the groan that escaped his lips when he was wrenched up off the ground. He glanced briefly over to Neal, but his back was still to him. Even when he had just let out a pitiful cry of pain, Neal didn't look back.

_"You had my back then."_

Keller remembered a particular instance to which this statement applied the moment Neal said it. It was back in the day when they'd been partners. Friends even.

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><p><strong>What'll happen next? When did Keller "have Neal's back"? READ AND REVIEW!<strong>


	3. When Keller Had Neal's Back

_* Sorry for the long wait! I promise I'll update more consistently from now on! Anyway... Here's when Keller "had his back". **READ AND REVIEW**_

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><p>It was years ago. A classic robbery from an art museum, just Neal and Keller. They were a perfect team, unbeatable. Unless of course, bad luck prevented their quick and stealthy get away.<p>

Which, it did. In the form of an electrical fire.

They were making their escape, the truck outside nearly full of priceless art. They grabbed one last Van Gogh, and were heading to the back exit when the alarm sounded.

"Shit! I thought you disabled the alarm!" Keller cursed.

"I did! That's the fire alarm!"

Keller nodded and pulled Neal into the next hallway. They crept around, ducking behind walls as guards ran past, screaming like little girls.

"C'mon." Neal whispered, rounding the corner in front of Keller, "Goddammnit! KELLER, STAY BACK."

Naturally, Keller complied, but leaned around the corner to see what was going on.

What he saw? A nightmarish inferno. Flames, eight feet high, licked the walls, viciously consuming drywall and the beautiful works of some Russian sculptor.

But across the room was a temptation even a raging fire couldn't keep Neal Caffrey from. An original Raphael. And it was just out of the fire's reach. For now.

Keller saw Neal spot it, saw him work out a relatively safe route to it in his mind.

"Neal. Neal, goddammnit, get back here! Fuck!"

Neal had darted across the room as the building groaned with an intent to collapse.

"Neal!" Keller screamed over the crackling roar, "Leave it! We have to _go_."

But Neal pretended not to hear him. He had the crazed, desperate aura about him telling Keller he was going after that Raphael.

Keller waited, irritably, when he heard the ceiling starting to crumble. He was too focused on that to notice the falling sculpture in time. Right by Neal, standing five or six feet tall, was a Russian sculpture.

"NEAL, LOOK OUT!"

Keller shouted, running forward, though his efforts were in vain. It hit Neal's collar bone, throwing him to the ground, trapping him beneath it.

The fire grew steadily.

Keller glanced from his trapped partner, to the empty hallway facing towards the front of the building.

Neal struggled to get free as the heat became more and more intense.

Keller felt no humanly obligation to help Neal, but inside he wanted to. Because he was his one, true friend.

Keller ducked under the smoke, trying to reach Neal when a burning chunk of drywall and plywood broke from the ceiling and clocked him. Right in the head.

His vision darkened very suddenly but he had to get to Neal. He stumbled through the smoke, and with nothing but pure adrenalin allowing him to, he lifted the sculpture just enough for Neal to slide out.

He half dragged Neal to the side exit, where they managed to sneak past the firemen. It wasn't until they were a safe distance away, in a nearby parking lot, that Keller released Neal.

Neal fell to the ground, coughing and wheezing. He too seemed to be fighting to remain conscious.

"What... What happened to your head? You're bleeding." Neal croaked, as Keller laid back onto the gravel.

"Wh-? Oh. Piece of... ceiling or some shit fell down and hit me." Keller responded, gingerly pressing the side of his head.

"You've got my back, don't you, Keller?" Neal asked, laying back and shutting his eyes.

"'Course I do. I just pulled you from a burning building because you HAD to have that Raphael." Keller mumbled, rubbing his head.

Neal smiled, and then his eyes rolled back and his head hit the ground.

Keller was going to laugh at how stupid Neal had just looked, when he too lost consciousness.

_"You had my back, back then."_


	4. Knee Reconstruction and the Russian Plan

_*Short chapter, I know. And I'm afraid, this is probably the end unless I think of something else. Sorry, I hope Keller's sassiness towards his surgeon suffices. **READ AND REVIEW!**_

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><p><em><em>  
>The cops had escorted Keller, handcuffed into the hospital but he still struggled violently against them. It may have been because of this that they cuffed him so tightly to the operating table.<p>

Keller gritted his teeth, sweating profusely as the surgeon dug in his knee for the shattered bits of bullet. He was pretty sure kneecap reconstruction surgery was something they were supposed to put you under for. In fact, this seemed quite violent and he was sure it was illegal.

Well, two can play at that game. Keller kicked his good leg up at the surgeon's hand, sending the scalpel flying up into the man's face. He shrieked in pain and Keller jumped off the table. He'd long since escaped his handcuffs but had forgotten, he couldn't walk. And certainly couldn't run.

So, he started dragging himself forward with his hands when a nurse showed up out of nowhere and stuck a long needle into his neck and he slowly felt consciousness drift away from him.

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><p>When he regained consciousness, he blinked his vision into clearer focus. He sat up, and immediately wished he hadn't because a horrible pain shot up from his knee all over his body.<p>

There was alot of doctors talking to FBI agents, and the process of getting him out of there took a very long time. It was long enough for him to formulate a plan to get out of this alive.

Plus Neal would most certainly get burned by it and _that_ was just the revenge he needed.

"Let's go." Some fed grunted agressively, yanking him up to his feet.

He had to admit, this hurt alot and he nearly fell out of their arms and to the floor when initially placed on his feet.

As he was pushed into the vehicle, handcuffed once more, he smiled.

Smiled because he knew this plan was going to work.

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><p>*<em>Just a heads up; the plan he's referring to is the one revealed in the end of <strong>Checkmate<strong> concerning how he deals with the Russians AND the feds._


End file.
